Awake and Everything's Just Fine
by Fire Kitten
Summary: Usopp really isn't sure why he can't fall asleep. Sure, he feels degraded and sick inside but nothing had happened. Everything is fine. Just fine. [Post-Timeskip; semi-violent sexual content; mentions of SanUso; giftfic for IchigoOtaku01 and sister-story to Full Circle]


**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** Usopp really isn't sure why he can't fall asleep. Sure, he feels degraded and sick inside but nothing had happened. Everything is fine. Just fine.

**Warnings:** Non-consenting sexual content, boy/boy relationships, possible post-time skip spoilers and language.

**Special Author's Notes:** This story is something I do not do very often – but every once and awhile I will get immensely inspired by another author's work and find myself motivated enough to write about it (fanfiction of fanfiction – it's fanfic-ception). After reading the first chapter of IchigoOtaku01's story Full Circle, I ended up writing this little gift fic for her. Chronologically, this chapter takes place just after _Chapter 1: Breaking_. It is not technically necessary to read her story to understand this one, but I highly encourage it anyways because it's amazing! If you _do_ decide to read both, read Full Circle first – or else this story will spoiler you quite a bit for hers.

**Special Disclaimer:** The following story should not be viewed as fact to Full Circle. This is just simply one possibility and does in no way reflect how IchigoOtaku01 may wish to proceed with the following incident. Any and all non-canon characters are also solely my creation and most likely will not by making any appearance in Full Circle, unless IchigoOtaku01 so wishes them to (which I give full creative license for her to do so if she so desires – but I'm sure she has better ideas in mind anyways, lol).

_And especially, all my thanks and gratitude and love go to you IchigoOtaku01 – for not only letting me post this story but also for inspiring me and encouraging me! Your authorship shall always be one of my favorites!_

* * *

The ocean was quiet that night, like the calm after a storm. Waves were lulling against the hull of the ship, rocking Sunny and its exhausted occupants asleep. There was only one meant to be awake: the unlucky soul that was deemed the first watch of the night. And no one would think anyone else could possibly and truly still be conscious willingly after the battle they had had that afternoon.

Usopp didn't think he was – awake willingly that is. But his mind was refusing him rest, unable to do anything but keep replaying the events of that afternoon.

It had happened so fast. He had been fighting marines off with everyone else when his sharp eyes caught sight of a wayward unit going into Sanji's kitchen. He remembered feeling his heart jump in panic. He had heard about it before; to ensure victory no matter what the outcome of the fight, sometimes soldiers would sneak away in the confusion of a battle to lay traps for pirates. Like explosives in the hull… or poison in the food.

Usopp tried to yell about it, but the noise of cannons going off and battle cries from both his nakama and their enemies drowned out his voice. Not even Sanji, who would normally be so very attentive of anyone he didn't trust going into _his_ sanctuary, could hear him because he was covering Nami from a vice-captain wielding a deadly looking machete.

He bit back a curse and decided to just handle it himself – h-h-he was a brave warrior of the sea after all!

But as he entered the kitchen, slingshot raised high and at the ready, he found it worryingly empty and the back door was wide open. _The rudder?_ He thought. Whether they damaged it or not, Dock System 0 and Coup de Burst could get them away, but Franky wouldn't like having to fix it all the same.

He took off at a run, a few gunpowder stars clenched tight in his fist.

He didn't even get out the door because suddenly the heavy mass of wood came swinging closed, catching him just a step past the threshold with a startling shock of pain. He shouted, reeling back and falling to the ground, a jolt running down his spine as his head impacted with the wooden deck. Stars blossomed in his vision that he rapidly tried to blink away, shady blobs hovering over him.

"See? Told you someone would follow us. Captain would have been pissed if he heard we got strung up by this weakling." One of the marines said, his voice sort of scratchy and gruff like his vocal cords had gone through a cheese grater.

A hand closed over his ankle and Usopp realized he was moving – being dragged across the floor. The door was slammed shut behind him, but to his ringing ears it sounded more like a crack of thunder. He barely had a moment to process it before a sharp kick was delivered to his side, forcing a grunt past his lips. His vision was clear now. He was surrounded by about six men.

"We'd better get rid of him." A high, mousey-like voice of a young marine with ponytailed red hair spoke up nervously.

Another, this one with a hook-nose like a bird's beak and freckles on his face, nodded. "You're probably right."

Uh-oh. That wasn't good. Usopp's fingers clenched into a fist and began to panic mentally when he realized Kuro Kabuto wasn't there. That he had dropped it and his artillery when he had fallen. Shitshit_shit!_ When the next kick came to his hip, survival mode turned on. He rolled with the blow, scrambling for his bag where his other slingshot was, only to shout in surprise when his hair was grabbed, the harsh grip pulling at the forming bruise on his scalp.

"Whoa, Whoaaaa whatcha doing there, brah?" A thick-accented voice spoke over him and without warning he yanked him down. Usopp saw stars again as his forehead impacted with the deck hard enough to not only further break his nose which had already been aching from the run in with the door but also caused most of his muscles to shudder as his motor control was lost and he slumped to the floor again, trying hard to just regain his bearings. _He just needed a second!_

He didn't get it. He vaguely realized the strap and consistent weight of his bag was gone, being flung aside. He valiantly scrabbled for it, everything in him screaming he would really die here if he didn't get it now. A foot stepped down on his already pounding head instead, pinning him down, and the pressure was incredibly painful. He felt the soles of a shoe digging into his cheek and scratching his left ear. His eye rolled to look around the shoe, catching sight of a smirking blonde with a scar marred across his forehead. "Nice try." He was the one with the accent. "But ya're a few years too young if pirate scum like ya even think ya can get a one-up on me."

Usopp just made a wheezing noise of fear, fighting through the pain as he tried to get to his bag or even back through the galley where his crew was, waiting to help him if he could just get to them.

Instead, he got one of his wrists pinned down. Another foot planted itself on his back, effectively keeping him down. And not a moment even passed from that action before the kicking started.

It was just like that one time with the Franky Family. He'd known pain like this before and he just grit his teeth against it, trying to ignore it and think of something, anything that could get him out of this increasingly hopeless situation. But there was nothing in reach that he could use as a weapon of any sort. Had nothing on him that he could use. All he had was his voice.

Which _was_ pretty damn loud.

So he took a deep breath and started to scream for help, praying his friends could hear. "HEEEEEEEEELP!" He swallowed hard as his voice screeched at the end, Adam's apple bopping. He paused for a breath, trying to put everything he had into it. _Luffy! Nami! Zoro! Sanji! Chopper! Robin! Franky! Brook! Anyone please! You're not going to let me die like this, right?!_

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"

"Oh shut up!" That gruff voice spoke up again and the weights holding him down were gone. He was free! But the moment of hope was lost when a foot connected solidly with his face with enough force to flip him over. He coughed in pained surprise, tasting blood in his mouth. There was a hacking sound and he felt spit splatter him on his arm. "Like anyone can fucking hear you anyways."

He sucked in a fearful breath, seeing that foot raising again and wondered how many more shots his head would be able to take before it just split open completely, when the blond with the accent reached out, shoving the other marine back a step. "Wait a second! I have an idea. Why don't we – whoa, brah, the hell are ya going?"

In the pause, Usopp had started to scramble away like a crab. He got maybe three feet away before yet another foot slammed into his chest, expelling his lungs of any air, and held him down once more. The blonde leaned over his knee, leering at him, "Now this idea involves ya. So no running." And then he straightened and said, "Ya're right, no one can hear us and I doubt anyone else will come this way anytime soon." And something about the wicked grin that overcame the man's face filled Usopp with dread. "Let's take the opportunity to have some fun."

Fun? What the hell did that mean? And why were they all suddenly laughing like that? He didn't like where this was going.

"Y-You know I have eight thousand followers!" Usopp barked, his entire body seeming to tremble as the men surrounded him more tightly. He started to struggle again as his limbs were grabbed at. "Let me go! If you try to do anything to me they'll – w-what are you doing?!"

He didn't even know how to react, feeling his legs being forcefully spread and his arms being pinned down. His breath turned sharp and reedy, the implication of what was going on finally hitting him. "O-O-Oi… Oi! Cut it out! You can't be serious you bastards!" He thrashed in their grip, the marines grunting to hold him still. As his head jerked around he caught sight of the sixth, the mousey kid who was standing back several steps giving him a sympathetic look but not doing anything to help. And that just somehow made it worse.

The blonde leaned down with a predatory smile on his face. Usopp met the gaze with what he hoped was a fierce scowl, but it felt weak and watery as a hand was placed on his chest. The touch burned in a way that left his stomach flipping. "Calm down angel." The blonde purred, his hand heading southward towards a place only a completely different blonde had ever been allowed to go before. "If ya do, it might even feel good for ya. Though, gotta be honest with ya, I _like_ screamers."

It took everything he had not to do so right then and there as that disgusting, filthy hand cupped him through his pants. His fingers curled into useless fists. Like hell was he letting this happen! "Get off of me! _**GET OFF OF ME!**_" He yelled, struggling anew and more desperately then he probably ever had in his entire life but it was getting him nowhere. And when he felt that hand squeeze around his balls, a horrible, choking sob escaped him. "Stop!"

And like an angel answering his prayer, he did. But not because he wanted to.

No, it was because a scuffed-up Italian shoe was suddenly embedded into the marine's face, so deep Usopp saw for just a second the skin bulging around the loafer before the laws of momentum took over and the man went flying back and into the wall of the ship, the wood cracking audibly. It was probably only because the pantry was on the other side of that wall that there was any restraint in the kick at all.

Usopp took a few breathes, unable to believe it as he followed the line of that foot, up a black clad leg and then body of a nicely tailored suit, until he saw the absolutely livid expression on his boyfriend's face. "Sa…S-Sa…" He couldn't even get out the name and Sanji wasn't listening anyways, whirling on the next Marine.

"The fuck do you shitheads think you're doing?!" He heard him roar and Usopp curled up into a ball the moment he was let go as the fighting started all over again.

Shaking off the memories, Usopp swallowed down the bad taste in his mouth, curling tighter around the slumbering Sanji, mindful of his broken hand. That he had gotten protecting him. Protecting him from getting rap-

_Stop it! Nothing happened, so stop thinking about it!_ His mind tried to argue.

But, if nothing had happened, then why did he feel so sick inside? So... so _violated? _Just telling Chopper what happened had filled him with so much disgust, dread and, more than anything, shame that he felt like he'd get lost in all that negativity and never find his way back out again. And by now everyone knew.

Everyone knew and he'd have to face them.

Face them knowing they knew.

Knew just how weak and fucking helpless he was – like he _always_ was.

He started to tremble violently, feeling nauseous and all wrong inside, but when it caused Sanji to stir he reigned everything in as best he could. Even the tears forming in his eyes.

"Mmm…Usopp…?" Sanji groggily croaked out, blinking up at him blearily. "What's wrong?"

And as he met those earnest blue eyes that just hours ago had been filled with pain both mental and physical all for his sake, Usopp did what he did best.

He lied.

"Everything's fine." He whispered, glad for the pain medication and the other's sleepiness. Because any other time Sanji would have noticed the slight shake in his voice. "Go back to bed, okay?"

"Mm'k." The other mumbled back almost inarticulately, shutting his eyes and slowly relaxing again, "Night'sopp."

"Good night." Usopp returned softly and when the other's breathing finally became even once more, he sighed some as he watched him sleep, remembering with disappointingly hazy memories of the other's heroics today. It seemed stupid that he could hardly recall much of it, yet every bit of what happened before the chef showed up was a clear as a damn cloudless sky in his mind. He didn't _want_ to remember any of that.

And it wasn't important anyways. Sanji had gotten hurt, not him. Sure, he had a few bruises, a slight concussion and a broken nose (when wasn't it broken?) but all of that would heal in no time. It was Sanji who fought for him – fought for him with his _hands._ And now, he temporarily would be unable to do the one thing he loved and enjoyed more than anything else in the entire world for several weeks. He would have to suffer with the agony of being unable to do anything on the ship until his hand healed. For his sacrifice, Sanji could not cook. And Usopp knew that was going to kill him inside.

So, it was _Sanji_ who needed a hug and the reassurance that he was going to be just fine.

It was _Sanji_ who needed the support and encouraging words.

It was _Sanji_ who needed him.

And it was just utterly selfish of him to think it should be any other way – because he was going to be fine.

Usopp shut his eyes, falling asleep wondering why it was so hard to believe his own lies.


End file.
